Aperture v C1 Coloured Specular highlights

[Braeside]

When using Aperture to process my M8 DNG files I notice that small specular highlights end up a myriad of colours rather than white. Conversely Capture One renders the highlights as white and that looks much more natural.

Is there a solution to this in Aperture? I much prefer the workflow of Aperture, but for some M8 files C1 is giving better results.

 

[Eoin]

From memory, use the moire sliders in the raw settings adjustment brick. You may need quite a lot of moire filter to eliminate all.

 

[Braeside]

Thanks, I tried that, but it does not seem to completely eliminate it in my case. I noticed that version 1 of RAW fine tuning does not show so much colour in the highlights but the results are very poor with that compared to version 2.0

C1 seems to have some magic going on I must admit, just wish it was a proper DAM app.

 

[Braeside]

I have sent Apple Aperture team feedback on this, hopefully they may be able to improve the rendering in later versions.

 

[Eoin]

The version 1 setting is using the older raw decode engine in aperture prior to aperture 2 being released. Version 2 is using the Apple profile for the M8 along with the newer v 2 decode engine. Version 2 DNG is (AFAIK) either reading the lookup tables imbedded in the file or reading the apple standard DNG lookup table.

Without a doubt C1 always created a better file with less artifacts and better definition. I however always liked the look (skin tone colour) of the M8 file within aperture and continued to use aperture for my M8 files. Any I came across with moire or purple specular highlights I tended to process through C1 and reimport the tiff.

Aperture X, the new version (3) should be with us before Christmas. Fingers crossed that they have made significant changes in performance and functions.

Try 2 DNG and reduce the boost to 75% and copious amounts of moire adjustment, it usually worked for me unless the file was polluted with specular highlights.

 

[Braeside]

Thanks Eoin, that is all sound advice. I will do as you suggest and only use C1 when I have to. Recently I seem to have been photographing subjects that include lots of surfaces covered by water droplets that were lit by bright sunlight, hence the problems.

I do hope that the new version of Aperture is a reality soon as it is my main DAM software here. Would be a nice Christmas present. :thumbup:

 

[dougpeterson]

I use aperture for all of my DAM needs (archiving and cataloging 16 bit TIFFS) with C1 used for all of my processing to those TIFFs. You can be happy that way .

It's impossible to know until it's released (or at least until a late beta), but my guess is against the next version of Aperture beating out C1 for processing quality, especially with Leica, for which there has always been a certain C1 magic, but more likely modest improvements in Image Quality alongside some really really cool new workflow tools and some server/client features. Regardless I'm eagerly awaiting to see what Apple has accomplished.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
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[Braeside]

Thanks Doug, I may look at that also.
Only disappointment is that I just used up my one and only upgrade on C1 v 4 not realising that v5 was coming out. Is there any grace period?